If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to sign Aaron Rodgers, they might need to put on a bigger show. Still a free agent two days before the draft with no indications he’ll sign soon, NFL insider Mike Silver believes Rodgers needs to feel like the Steelers – or any prospective team – really wants him in the building. And according to Silver, that’s not his own speculation. That’s coming from Rodgers’ long-time teammate and friend WR Davante Adams.
Joining Scoop City’s Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel Monday night, Silver relayed his conversation with Adams about Rodgers. First, Silver confirmed how upset Rodgers was following a short and terse exit meeting with the New York Jets, an incident Rodgers slammed the team over during last week’s interview with Pat McAfee. Next, Adams told Silver what it’ll take to get Rodgers inside another team facility on something more than just a visit.
“The second thing Davante told me was, I think Aaron wants someone to roll out the red carpet for him,” Silver told the show. “That is what he is looking for. I’m not sure if he would consider the Steelers doing that right now. I’m not positive how Aaron perceives that or how the Steelers perceive that.”
Rodgers’ apparently desires stem from mistreatment over two difficult years with the Jets. Seasons full of drama, rumors, leaks, and general chaos. Reportedly, he was nearly benched in 2024 but remained in the lineup as his head coach and general manager were fired. Though the odds of him retuning under Aaron Glenn’s new regime were slim, Rodgers was unhappy with his unceremonious exit, flying from Los Angeles to the Jets’ facility for a brief meeting when he expected to spend hours with the organization to discuss his future.
Rodgers visited Pittsburgh last month, spending several hours with Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, Arthur Smith, and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth. During his McAfee appearance, Rodgers spoke glowingly of the organization. But none of it has compelled him to sign with Pittsburgh. He cited personal issues and focus on helping his “inner-inner” circle through life events before deciding on his football future.
Per Adams through Silver, Rodgers wants his next team to show true commitment to him. Perhaps that means Rodgers waiting out the draft to see what teams like Pittsburgh do although he told McAfee that wouldn’t play a role in his decision.
Silver noted his conversation was second-hand through Adams, not Rodgers. And perhaps Adams was offering his own read on the situation based on the messy divorce with New York, Silver later acknowledging something might’ve gotten “lost in translation.” There’s good money Rodgers would take issue with the framing, likely attributing it to “bullshit” rumors he castigated during last week’s interview.
More optimistically, Adams also Silver he was confident Rodgers could play, citing an early-season injury that hampered his performance.
Pittsburgh isn’t a city of red carpets and fans already tired of the wait and specu-porting won’t be happy hearing this apparent requirement. But if the Steelers want to speed up Rodgers’ timeline and get him to sign, two things they would definitely prefer, they might need to add Hollywood flair to their blue collar pitch.
